Suspended work seat for dentists



"Marh 18,1952

R. J. HALEY 2,589,803

SUSPENDED WORK SEAT FOR DENTISTS Filed Feb. 9, 1948 2 SHEETSSHEET l iY/y// 1/ /1 EE""' O: H O 9 "f FIGJ INVENTOR ROBERT J. HALEY TTOR EYSMarch 18, 1952 R. J. HALEY, 2,539,803

' SUSPENDED WORK SEAT FOR DENTISTS Filed Feb. 9, 1948 2 SHEETS-Sl-IEET 2v /1// Ill INVENTOR ROBERT J HALEY BY q ' ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 18,1952 UNITED STATES GFFICE This invention relates to movable work seats,and particularly to improvements in the class of seats intended for useby dentists while doing their kind of work.

Investigation will show that dentist generally stand While working ontheir patients. Stools are used by some dentists and special seats havebeen proposed, however, the general situation appears to be that manydentists find it too inconvenient to manage a stool in their work andfor the most part they prefer to stand rather than experience theinconvenience of prior art seating structure.

In this situation the purpose of the invention to be disclosed is toprovide a work seat for dentists that will not be in the way of any ofhis working movements, such as needed to place him in any of theposition where he wants to work on the patient nor in the way of hisdesired movements back and forth between the patient in the chair, hiscabinet, sink or work table adjacent the patients chair. The idea ofkeeping the work seat out of the way involves particularly the idea ofkeeping it out from under his feet and not blocking the walking areaaround the patient or the area in which the dentist wants towalk, standand sit as he chooses.

The new seat and its utility can be best understood by reference to" anexample and an expla- 'the patient and a work seat for the dentist whichembodies my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan viewof a dentists oiiice illustrating a convenient position in which to havethe track shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 shows another form of the seat holding member;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the seat or saddle shown in the side elevationsof Fig. 1' and Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation, partly in cross section, of the same trackas shown in Fig. 1, but illustrating a different trolley and hangingmeans for the work seat; and

Fig. 7 is a detail plan view partially in section of the carriage bodymember of the construction shown by Fig. 6.

The-structure of the example in the drawings consists in track member 2to be supported at a ceiling height in thedentists operating or work 4Claims. (Cl. 15553) room. The ceiling i not shown but it will beunderstood from the position of track 2 in Figs. 1 and 3 in relation tothe patients dental chair I. This track member 2 fastened and held atceiling height, as by mounting it to hang from oflice building membersor end posts, not shown, provides a ceiling track to be used for ahanging saddle or seat 3. The dentist can easily straddle this saddle.When he sits on the saddle his weight is hung from the ceiling trackmember, by rod 5, to which the saddle is fastened by clamp 4, hook 6,chain 7, and hanger I0, rotatably mounted on carriage or trolley device3, with carriage wheels 9 engaged with the tracks of track member 2.Some desirable features of the elements mentioned will be explainedlater.

Only the general aspect of the seat mounting is now being considered.

It will be clear from Figs. 1 and 3 that the floor of the dentists workroom is free from any structural impediments due to the means forseating the dentist. He can walk about his office and patients chair,between the latter and tool cabinet ll (Fig. 2), work table l2 and sinkl3. Not only can he walk freely over all such floor area as he uses mostbut he can walk followed by his seat, as will be explained, and sit downat any one of the many work positions to which he will move.

The saddle 3, rod 5, and chain 1 are not only a lightweight structurebecause of their small total bulk, but, being pivotally hung from'thewheeled carriage, they are parts which can be kept available and yet outof the dentist's way with little or no inconvenience. The rod 5 may beof tubing and is about as convenient to handle as a cane or walkingstick.

In the expected use, the height of saddle'3 above the floor may beadjusted for a particular dentist in this way. He stands with legsslightly apart, as if he were about to work at the patients head from astanding position. The saddle 3 is moved vertically, by hanging hook 6into one or another link of chain 1, until the dentist can sit astraddleby a slight bending of his knees. With the saddle adjustment closeenough, the user can retain his 'contact with the saddle 3, so that whenhe walks from one position to another the saddle will follow hismovements. He can turn around 360 at any place on the floor below theextent of the ceiling track indicated in Fig. 3,'and.saddle 3 willfollow his movements on foot and be available to take his weight off hisfeet'when he merely bends his knees. The dentist can, of course,dismount from the saddle at will. When he does, it is useful to have thesaddle remain in the position where he leaves it. Then he can remountwith the least inconvenience.

The arrangement desired for this purpose is provided by distributing theweight of the saddle 3, rod 5, and chain 1, in other words the partshanging from carriage 8, so that the saddle will be hung as if it werethe weight on a plumb line, i. e. always vertically below its point ofsuspension from above. Thus when the dentist gets off his seat such seatwill not swing out of the plumb line but remain in the plumb line,except, of course, in any case of its being pushed out by the usersmovements it will return to, rather than remain in, the plumb line.built into the structure by the design for its weight distribution or byadding weights at the points desired to get the plumb line action.

Considering rod 5 of Fig. 1, its center of gravity would normally be inits long vertical portion. When the saddle is on the horizontal portionof rod 5, the saddle weight tends to move the bar into the positionshown. In the modified bar 5a of Fig. 4 its weight or center of gravitycan be located in the vertical line below the hook. The arrangement ofbends in the rod places the saddle in the plumb line so that the weightof the saddle, provided the saddle is placed with its center of gravityon the plumb line, is not pertinent to the position of the rod. The formof Fig. 4 has the advantage of using less chain. When unhooked from ashorter chain (than in Fig. 1) the rod 5a can be put away and theremainder of the supporting apparatus is high enough to be more nearlyout of normal sight.

Considering the hanger l!) of Fig. 1, its swivel joint with carriage ortrolleydevice 8 is desirably of ball bearing construction as indicatedor other easily turning bearing construction. It is useful to providethat, any turning movement of rod 5 cause the turning of hanger E on itscarriage bearing to avoid any substantial twisting of chain 1. Suchtwisting might be enough to cause the chain length to change and movethe saddle seat up and down, as for example if the dentist in his workhappened to turn around several times in the same direction. In otherwords, in the example shown the turning joint preferably moves freely toavoid chain twisting movements.

An adjustable padded back rest, not shown, could be attached by a clampto the vertical portion of rod as the saddle shown is to the horizontalportion. This is a minor convenience, however, not believed necessary inthe most convenient use of the invention.

Of course, saddle 3 and rod 5 may be pivotally hung from a wheeledcarriage of other construction than that shown in Fig. 1. A usefulvariation of structure is shown in Fig. 6. These two carriageconstructions, with their way of making connection with links of chain,are preferred forms of structure and relate to some specific aspects ofthe invention as will be pointed out in some of the claims. In the broadaspect of the invention, however, the carriage may be a trolley Thifeature is device of any one of a variety of forms. The spe- "moves.Jerky movements should be substantially avoided. If the carriage startsand stops in I otherthan smoothmovements, these disagreeable jerks willbe transmitted from the carriage to the dentist.

The carriage construction 14 shown in Figs. 6 and 7 and the particularconnections between the carriage and the work seat member 5 shownprovide for a mode of operation which substantially avoids other thansmooth movement of the carriage. lwo trucks l5 and i6 of identicalstructure and with wheels I! engaged with the tracks of track member 2,are joined together to make up the carriage construction [4, their rigidhanging members 18 rigidly attached to member l5 Thus carriageconstruction M is a substantial vehicle in that it has a vehicle body(member I9) suspended between two trucks. Hanger 20 passes throughsleeve bearing 2| at the center of body member 99 positioned between thetwo trucks [5 and I5 and is free to swivel on ball bearings 22 as shown.Lateral movement of the hanger 29 is prevented, however, by closecontact of the hanger with the bearing surface of sleeve bearing 2|.

Hanger 25 is of a substantial length beyond that necessary merely tolocate in it the bottom eye 23 for attaching whatever number of links ofchain I desired. The purpose of this is to provide a depending rod,swivelled for very easy turning movement on its vertical axis andprevented irom any tipping movement or deviation from the vertical.

The length of chain between the hanger 29 and rod 5 supporting the seat,permits the necessary swinging movement of the seat for it to follow thedentists bodily movement. It will be noted that when the dentist movesand his seat follows, the chain makes a substantially greater angle forany such movement that it would if it were connected higher up andcloser to the carriage. This larger angle results in a larger horizontalcomponent of force to move the carriage on its track. Thus a muchsmaller movement of the dentists body along the floor will cause aneffective movement of the carriage at the ceiling level and there willbe only a small lag between the horizontal movements of carriage anddentist with substantially no jerks as compared to a swinging chainconnection at the ceiling level.

In its most useful aspect, the idea of the invention includes that ofproviding for a dentists seat with very little bulk between the floorand ceiling of the office. What apparatus there is between the floor andceiling in the examples of the invention shown is no more than a bicyclesaddle, a rod similar to one piece of bicycle tubing, and a short pieceof chain. put away out of use about as easily as an umbrella or a caneand yet its scope when used without encumbering the dentists oflicefloor or working space, is much more extensive than any prior artseating arrangement for a dentist at work now known to me.

Having fully disclosed my invention, I claim:

1. Seating apparatus for a dentists personal use while working on apatient, comprising a saddle small enough to be easily straddled when insitting or standing position, a support carrying the saddle andprojecting backwardly from its rear side a short distance to be oiTsetfrom a user on the saddle, then upwardly higher than the users head willbe when in sitting or standing position astride the saddle, thenforwardly to a point generally overlying the saddle, then vertically toa ceiling level, a horizontal track to be supported at such ceilinglevel, atrolley device movable on said track, said support f rogn It canbe said saddle including an upper swivel joint means hanging from thetrolley device for suspending the support construction between thesaddle and the trolley device, all in form'adapted for use substantiallyas disclosed.

2. In apparatus for the use disclosed the combination of'a ceilingtrack, a pair of spaced trucks riding on the tracks, a body membersuspended from said trucks and fastened to them so as to preventrelative movement, the body member being close to and parallel to thetrack, said body having a'bearing centrally thereof. a rigid rod mountedin the bearing to depend vertically from thebody a substantial distancefrom the ceiling track to provide substantial clearance for moving thetrucks and said body horizontally, said bearing being of a typepermitting free turning on a vertical axis and preventing tippingmovement of the rod, a generally 0 shaped rigid rod like frame member, asaddle attached at the bottom horizontal portion of such member, a shortflexible member connecting the upper end of said frame member to thelower end of said rigid rod, all constructed and arranged for a dentistsseat to move with him when he walks a floor below the ceiling track andmove the body member suspended by its tracks smoothly and with littlelag between the dentist's movements and the movement of said trucks andsuspended structure.

3. Seating apparatus for a dentists personal use while working on apatient, comprising a saddle small enough to be easily straddled when insitting or standing position, a support carrying the saddle andprojecting backwardly from its rear side a short distance to be offsetfrom a user on the saddle, then upwardly higher than a users head willbe when in sitting or standing position astride the saddle, thenforwardly to a point generally overlying the saddle. then vertically toa ceiling level, a horizontal track to be supported at such ceilinglevel. a carriage device movable on said track, said support concarriagedevice for supporting said saddle substantially as disclosed.

4. Seating apparatus for a dentists personal use while workingpn apatient, comprising a saddle small enoughto be easily straddled when insitting or standingposition, a support carrying the saddleandlprojecting backwardly from its rear side a short distance to beoffset from a user on the saddle, then upwardly higher than a user'shead will be when in sitting or standing position astride thefs addle,then forwardly to a point generally overlying the saddle, thenvertically to a ceiling level, a horizontal track to be supported atsuch ceiling level, a carriage device movable on said track, saidsupport from said saddle including a swivel joint and suspension meansconnected to the carriage device for hanging the saddle-from thecarriage device, the center of gravity'of said saddle normally being ina direct vertical line below the con nection of said suspension meanswith the carriage whereby said saddle acts as the weight of a plumb linein the operation of said apparatus.

ROBERT J. HALEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references'are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 508,423 Johnson Nov. 14, 1893715,668 Kiddie Dec. 9, 1902 1,941,907 Martin' Jan. 2, 1934 1,971,294Bunker Aug. 21, 1934 2,244,650 Curran June 3, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date 68,880 Switzerland Apr. 17, 1915

